Organize a food drive for local homeless shelters.
Homelessness afflicts just about every state within the United States. Individuals have to live on the streets, in their cars or at local shelters because they do not have housing of their own. Though this is an issue that affects the entire country, there are things you can do to help individuals who have become homeless.
Volunteer Work
Volunteer work is a way you can help homeless people within your own area. Visit local homeless shelters, soup kitchens or free clinics to inquire about volunteer services that you can do in your area. There are numerous little jobs such as filing paperwork or preparing vegetables for soups at soup kitchens that can be done in order to help homeless people and the organizations out there trying to assist them. Realize that not all services can take on new volunteers and that most will require a long-term commitment since they do not have the funding or time to constantly retrain new volunteers.
Donate Clothing
Homeless individuals lack clean clothing or warm clothing in the winter. Donate gently used clothing to local homeless shelters for men, women and children's sizes. Many homeless individuals do not even own a suit or other appropriate attire to go to a job interview, so if you have gently used work clothes that you no longer use, donate them as well.
Holiday Gifts
During the holidays homeless people cannot speak to family in other areas or even provide gifts for their children. Donate things like calling cards to homeless shelters for individuals to use to call family and friends that are located far away. Donate a few toys for children living in homeless shelters; if you have the time, organize a toy drive with neighbors or coworkers to deliver more toys to your local shelters. Donate funds to charities that provide homeless families and their children with gifts for the holidays.
Respect
Sometimes the simplest way to help another person is to show him respect and compassion. When you see a homeless person on the street, do not scowl, curse or treat him like he does not exist. Smile at a homeless person and show compassion. Do not automatically assume that all homeless people got there because they were alcoholics or drug addicts. Many homeless individuals may have lost their jobs, had medical issues or other had reasons for being homeless.
Tags: homeless shelters, homeless people, local homeless, local homeless shelters, because they, gently used